Media Releases

2013 Molson Prize Presentation

Tuesday June 4th 2013 – Victoria – The Canada Council for the Arts, along with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) will have the opportunity to present the 2013 Molson Prize to Ann Dale for her outstanding contribution to the social sciences during the 2013 Congress for the Humanities and Social Sciences. In its 82nd year, the Congress, which is organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, is Canada’s largest gathering of scholars across the disciplines, bringing together academics, researchers, policy-makers and practitioners.

Two prizes of $50,000 each are awarded annually to distinguished Canadians, one in the arts and the other in the social sciences and humanities. Funded from the income of a $1 million endowment given to the Canada Council by the Molson Family Foundation, the Molson Prizes encourage Canadians honoured with this distinction to continue contributing to the cultural and intellectual heritage of Canada. The Canada Council administers the awards in conjunction with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

When? Wednesday June 5th from 4pm-5pm

Where? McKinnon Building (within the Expo)

Who? Hosted by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Biography on Professor Ann Dale

Professor Ann Dale, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Community Development, Royal Roads University (Victoria), is nationally and internationally recognized for her research in the field of community sustainability. As a former executive in the federal government and a founder of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy in 1988, her research on governance, innovation and community vitality is designed to provide useful knowledge to Canadian decision-makers. Dr. Dale is deeply committed to online conversations on critical public policy issues and novel research dissemination tools, such as her YouTube channel, HEADTalks. An active researcher, Dale leads MC3, a research program studying climate change adaptation and mitigation best practices and innovations in communities throughout British Columbia. Dr. Dale is a member of the National Advisory Committee on Energy Efficiency, and was the founding research associate in residence for the Council of Canadian Academies, 2010-2011. She is also a board member of the World Fisheries Trust and a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Sciences and chairs the Canadian Consortium for Sustainable Development Research. Originally from Ottawa, she splits her time between Victoria and Ottawa.

In awarding the Molson Prize to Ann Dale, the selection committee described her as “one of Canada's foremost academics in sustainable community development, an activist within the environmental movement, and an innovator in environmental education and civic engagement.”

Organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, Congress is the largest interdisciplinary conference in Canada. Described as a “conference of conferences,” Congress involves nearly 70 academic associations that represent a rich spectrum of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including literature, history, theatre, film studies, education, music, sociology, geography, social work and many others.